How to get uniform sized biscotti?
I follow this recipe to make biscotti and replace 1 egg with 50 gms of butter. So I end up adding 2 eggs and 50 gms of butter.It is always incredibly yummy but I have 2 issues and would be great if I could get some tips or help:
- I never get uniform sized/shaped slices like in the picture on the website. They are very small on the ends and very long in the middle even though I try to make a very uniform looking logs before baking.
- Some of the biscotti slices are very crumbly and break when I slice them. I do use a very good serrated knife to slice the log.
Best Answer
Chill this or any cookie dough once finished mixing and before baking. Make your biscotti dough into perfect rectangle logs right to the edge of your pan, with even height and width right across. Use a ruler if you have to. I suspect you have a higher height in the middle - that dough will need to go somewhere when heated, and that's sideways (creating your longer middle baked width).
Once you have these perfectly formed rectangles of dough, chill in the fridge for an hour at least. This will really help keep it's shape and reduce any uneven spreading during bake. You could also try slightly increasing your first-bake temp 10-15 degrees as this will help quick set the exterior of the biscotti logs. The only other thing I may mention is the recipe - perhaps you can just slightly scale back the baking powder to help reduce the spread of the dough during baking.
Once baked just to set (depends on size), pull from the oven and let cool just slightly. While still warm to the touch, start slicing your cookies to a consistent, even desired width - I really recommend using an electric knife if you have one to make the work a lot easier for yourself. If you don't have one, just work quickly with your best serrated knife. Doing this while still warm will definitely help with reducing breakage and crumbs.
Pictures about "How to get uniform sized biscotti?"
Quick Answer about "How to get uniform sized biscotti?"
Use a serrated knife to cut the biscotti in 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Cutting crosswise will give you short (about 4") biscotti. Or cut the log at an angle, for longer, "standard-size" biscotti. Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet.How do you keep biscotti from spreading?
If your biscotti is spreading too much it could be or several reasons. It will spread, about double in size from the raw dough. Could be that the recipe is wrong; try adding a bit more flour, for most recipes the dough should be pretty dry, almost difficult to work with.Why did my biscotti go flat?
Be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they'll topple over during their second bake. The biscotti log or cookie may crumble while trying to cut it. If it does, wrap the baked dough and freeze overnight.How can I make my biscotti less hard?
There is a fine line between making biscotti that are crisp versus biscotti that are hard. In general, I got a better texture (not as hard) by reducing the quantity of flour. To make the biscotti crisp, I slice them quite thin (about 1/4 inch) using a serrated bread knife.How thick should I cut biscotti?
The thickness of the biscotti is a personal preference. That being said, most recipes will suggest cutting them 1/2\u2033 thick. Keep in mind that cutting them thicker or thinner will affect the final yield. A thinner cut will yield more biscotti versus a thicker one.Facili e bellissimi Biscotti baby shower | UnicornsEatCookies
More answers regarding how to get uniform sized biscotti?
Answer 2
The ones in the picture look like they were cooked in a tin with sides (maybe in the bottom of a loaf tin, or maybe a narrow baking tray). They've got a suspiciously straight and symmetrical bit below the domed top. Mine have always been pointier at the ends than that, and I use a baking sheet (AKA cookie sheet). The loaf slumps a little in the first cooking. This affects the shape of the ends as well, leading to variable slices. Yours may slump a little more as the butter melts.
Some crumbling is to be expected but if you're reducing the egg, you're reducing a very effective binding agent. Allowing the loaf to cool before slicing makes it crumble less, which was particularly important when I made a gluten-free batch - after cutting one crumbly slice I left it for a bit longer before doing the rest.
Having clicked through to the recipe on a big screen they certainly show some pictures that weren't cooked in a tin. The ends are fairly squared-off even after baking, but there are probably a couple of slices off each end to be used for testing purposes (in addition to the very end piece) and not shown in the photos.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Laura James, Laura James, Laura James, Laura James